Milsons Point railway station
}} Milsons Point railway station is located on the North Shore line, serving the Sydney suburb of Milsons Point. It is served by Sydney Trains' T1 North Shore and T9 Northern Lines. The station is located above ground, accessible via an aqueduct from Alfred Street. The Sydney Harbour Bridge is also visible from the station. History In 1815 government architect Francis Greenway, in a report to Governor Macquarie, proposed the building of a bridge from Dawes Point at the city's edge to the northern shore. The original Milsons Point station was not in its present location, but on the edge of Sydney Harbour approximately on the site of the present northern pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the North Sydney Olympic Pool. This location enabled passengers from the North Shore to transfer directly from steam trains to ferries to reach Circular Quay. It opened as the southern terminus of the North Shore railway line on 1 May 1893.3 when extended from its previous terminus at St Leonards (opened from Hornsby 1 January 1890).4 The site, squeezed between the rock cliffs and the edge of Sydney Harbour was cramped, with two side platforms, one of which was built on piles partly over the water's edge, and three tracks between, including a centre road. Immediately adjoining it to the west was the colonnaded Milsons Point ferry wharf for the ferry service to Circular Quay in the Sydney central business district and tram terminus for the North Sydney cable tramway (opened 22 May 1886) and subsequently electrified from 11 February 1900. Concrete had been extensively used for foundations and walls since the 1890s. By 1910 reinforced concrete was in use, but not for superstructures directly supporting railway tracks. The Bellevue Street underbridge at Glebe was the first to use it for this purpose, in 1919. In 1915, to enable a start on the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge between Milsons Point and Dawes Point, the Government instructed the Railway Commissioners to vacate the station and a new four platform, station was constructed at the site of the boundary fence between the present-day Luna Park and Lavender Bay Sidings. This station was in operation for just seven weeks, from 30 May 1915 to 18 July 1915, as the inconvenience to passengers transferring between ferries and trains was unacceptable.9 Due to later overcrowding, a third platform was added on 12 December 1920 by removing the centre road track and laying a new track on inland side of the new platform 2.10 This station remained in use until the site was requisitioned to allow construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It was not until 1922 that legislation was passed and acted upon, authorising the construction of a bridge. Tenders were invited in 1923 in accordance with general plans and specification prepared by Dr John Bradfield, Chief Engineer, Sydney Harbour Bridge and Railway Construction. The plans and specification provided the alternatives of a cantilever or an arch bridge. Twenty proposals were received from six different companies of various types of design. The tender of Dorman Long & Co Ltd, of Middlesbrough, England, for an arch bridge was accepted, the design being substantially in accordance with one of Dr Bradfield's proposals. The detailed design was carried out by the contractor's consulting engineer, Sir Ralph Freeman, and the fabrication and construction were under the direct charge of Mr Lawrence Ennis, a director of the firm. The design and construction of the bridge were supervised at all stages by Dr Bradfield and his staff. The Milsons Point station was constructed between 1929 and 1932 as part of the northern approaches. It was initially called Kirribilli Station, but was changed to Milsons Point before its opening. By June 1931 the station platform had been completed and a portion of the platform awnings had also been erected. The railway decking had advanced as far as Milsons Point, tracks had begun to be laid and the transoms delivered for installation. By January 1932 the platforms had been covered with asphalt, the brickwork of the shops in the arcade below the station was completed as was the tiling, the laying of magnesite flooring in the station office, terrazzo flooring in the lavatories, the erection of the metal awnings at the Alfred Street and Broughton Street entrances, terracotta facing to the station and installation of gates and barriers. Trackwork was completed and ballast laid along the tracks at the same time. On 19 March 1932 the Milsons Point station was officially opened as part of the larger bridge opening celebrations to roadway, railway and pedestrian traffic by the then Premier of New South Wales, Jack Lang. As part of the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and relocation of the North Shore Line to extend across the bridge into the City, a new Milsons Point station was built on the northern approach to the bridge and opened on 19 March 1932. This station was in two parts: two platforms each side of the roadway. The western platforms were connected to the North Shore line with the eastern pair used for a tramway service between Wynyard and the northern suburbs. The tramway and the associated platforms at Milsons Point were removed in 1958 as part of the conversions of lanes 7 and 8 of the Harbour Bridge to become the Cahill Expressway. In February 2013, construction began on a wharf interchange upgrade at Milsons Point as part of the Transport Access Program. Improvements included a 'kiss and ride' upgrade, footpath regrading and a new bus shelter. Construction spanned only two months.https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects/current-projects/transport-access-program-completed Platforms and services | p1astop = Suburban services to Penrith, Emu Plains, Schofields or Richmond | p1anotes = | p1blinename = | p1bstop = Suburban services to Epping or Hornsby via Strathfield | p1bnotes = | p2alinename = | p2astop = Suburban services to Hornsby or Berowra via Chatswood PM peak hour services to Gosford or Wyong | p2anotes = | p2blinename = | p2bstop = Suburban services to Gordon via Chatswood | p2bnotes }} Map Category:Sydney Trains Stations Category:Stations Category:Suburban stations Category:Stations with disabled access Category:Sydney Trains Category:North Sydney Council